The Witness Wore Red by Rebecca Musser and M. Bridget Cook
On Saturday I went to the Aspiring Author Summit put on by my friends Shantel McBride and Shanna Beaman. I go to a lot of events, because I love to learn and I especially love to learn from amazing women who have overcome hard things. I am ridiculously blessed to know the women I know and that I call them my friends. Bridget and I have had some wonderful heart to heart talks over the past year and one of the reasons I went to the event was just so that I could give her a hug. She is an absolutely beautiful soul. On September 10th, the book The Witness Wore Red is going to hit the shelves. Author Rebecca Musser was the 19th wife of Rulon Jeffs, prophet of the FLDS Church. She was in her 20's. He was 85 years old when she married him. He went on to have 65 wives before he died 7 years later. Rebecca finally escaped after years of manipulation and abuse. In The Witness Wore Red, she shares her story - and from the first page I literally felt like I was transported into her world. The writing team of Rebecca and Bridget is transformational and respectful of the subject matter and the effect it might have on the reader. I was horrified, fascinated, disgusted, devastated, and grateful. Yes, grateful! Grateful that Rebecca was willing to use her voice and continues to use her voice against human trafficking and abuse - because that is what she experienced. Rebecca testified against 20 FLDS leaders and was instrumental in putting Warren Jeffs behind bars, however, her journey continues.
M. Bridget Cook Reads an Excerpt from The Witness Wore Red
The day before the summit, Bridget was sent a copy of The Witness Wore Red, and we had the chance to listen to her read an excerpt from the book. Bridget has written three transformational stories, including Skinhead Confessions: From Hate to Hope, and Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter. In all three books, she uses her incredible ability to ignite all of the senses. She learns, understands, and speaks the voice of her hero (or shero) as if the story were her own. Clearly, her own experiences in life allow her the compassion and empathy to share intimate details in a respectful way. Having now read all three books, I can't wait to see what she does next!
Wow, that is probably a powerful book! Hurrah to her and the others who have been saved from abuse, manipulation, and corruption. Very inspiring!
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